Pages

☆ Search Freezer ☆

05/11/2015

☆ How Do You Save A Stranded Astronaut? ☆ #IndieDev #GameDev #iOS #Android

As I sit here and wait for him to get back to me I fear for his safety on his first night in the unknown wilderness.....He got in contact with me on my iPhone on Thursday morning and told me his story via text....His name is Taylor...He asked me for advice on how to proceed...He wanted to know what to do next....I had to put myself in Taylor's shoes and think what would I do next if I was Taylor?I've just advised him on where he should sleep on his first night stranded alone.....I hope I've told him the right thing....I've never been in that situation so I don't know what to advise but I did advise him on what I thought was truly his best option....I keep checking my phone to see if he has got in contact with me but nothing yet....Oh god I hope he makes it through the night......What if he doesn't?!It's Only A GameThis is the situation i find myself in whilst playing a great game called LifeLine. I have just bought it from the iPhone App Store and what a great game it is.I downloaded it yesterday and now I can't stop thinking about the plight of my new astronaut friend Taylor, who is stranded on an Alien planet after his space craft crashed.Taylor is on his own and only I can help him survive such a dire situation that he potentially faces. The fact that I have his life in my hands means that each choice I make I deliberate over endlessly and tend to do the thing that I think is the most sensible thing to do at the time as I want my new buddy Taylor to survive.

Text UpThe 'action' plays out entirely through the use of on screen text that is transmitted as though you are receiving instant messages from a friend on WhatsApp.Taylor will send you a number of messages detailing his current situation and this is generally followed up with a choice that you have to make. Each choice is an A or B choice and each choice could potentially be the last choice you make for Taylor. It really does make you think as there isn't always an obvious choice on offer and sometimes it's a choice that makes the best of a bad situation rather than having a clear positive outcome.

Waiting GameOnce you make your A or B choice you then have to wait...........and wait.......That's what makes this game different. In most other games you would make your choice and then see your outcome immediately so you can make your next choice and so on until you meet a stcky end or complete the game. LifeLine however, drip feeds you the story and associated outcomes from your choices of Taylor's next move over however much time it takes for Taylor to complete the action you have chosen for him.The game teases you and then lets you dwell on the decision you have just made. You tend to anxiously check and re-check your phone for a new message from Taylor like you are waiting for a text from a close friend.

This whole scenario builds up palpable tension in the game that you can really buy into. I haven't played the game all the way through yet but already I have had to make a decision based on real life research on a particular subject. Taylor actually asked me to do the research before I made my decision and he gave me some time to do so. Now that is an example of an awesome gameplay mechanic and it brought a smile to my face when I had researched the piece of information that I had been asked to look for.While waiting for Taylor to come back to me I have found myself re-reading the text to make sure that I have absorbed each detail that Taylor has given me before he comes back to me and asks me what he should do next.

Money Well SpentThis app cost me a paltry 79p and already it feels like I have got my moneys worth. Granted, it's a pretty simple story path but it's written and presented in such a way that it makes the whole experience different and special for the player.So i'd advise you that you have two choices...........